Berlin Dresdener Bahnhof
Encyclopedia
The Dresdner Bahnhof was a short-lived passenger railway terminus
in Berlin
, Germany
, opened on 17 June 1875 and handling train services to and from Dresden
(over the so-called "Dresdner course"), Prague
and Vienna
.
, in an area largely dominated by railway infrastructure. Close by were the approach tracks of the Anhalter Bahnhof
and Potsdamer Bahnhof
, and their associated goods stations and locomotive depots.
, Naples
and Athens
. The Potsdamer Bahnhof inherited mainly short-haul and suburban traffic.
After standing apparently unused for more than 30 years, in 1913 the Dresdner Bahnhof was incorporated into a much larger facility - the Postbahnhof, dedicated to the handling of mail. By then there were even more rails in the immediate vicinity following the arrival of the U-Bahn
. Its original route, opened in stages during 1902, comprised a through section from Warschauer Brücke to Knie
, with a triangular junction between Möckernbrücke
and Bülowstraße
giving access to Potsdamer Platz
. This triangle of lines gave its name to the area (Gleisdreieck, literally meaning "railway triangle"), and also to the station constructed there
. Following an accident on 26 September 1908, in which two trains collided on the triangle, killing 18 people and injuring 21 others, the layout was reorganised in 1912 into what can be seen today, with two lines crossing one over the other at right angles, and a split-level station with platforms on both lines. The Dresdner Bahnhof, and the Postbahnhof of which it became part, lay in the south-east quadrant, right in the angle between the two lines. In this guise it lasted for eight more decades, finally closing in 1997.
In the photograph on the top, taken in October 2005, the bridge carries U-Bahn line 1. A train crossing it from left to right (east to west) will run into Gleisdreieck station (high level platforms) just seconds later. Just beyond the bridge, the Dresdner Bahnhof is the mainly red brick building on the left, while the Postbahnhof is straight ahead. Both are nowadays used for concerts, parties, exhibitions and cultural events (please note that this Postbahnhof should not be confused with another venue, apparently of the same name, about 3 km away near the Ostbahnhof).
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, opened on 17 June 1875 and handling train services to and from Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
(over the so-called "Dresdner course"), Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Characteristics
It was fairly small in size and inconveniently located some distance from the centre of the city, south of the LandwehrkanalLandwehrkanal
The Landwehr Canal, or Landwehrkanal in German, is a long canal parallel to the Spree river in Berlin, Germany, built between 1845 and 1850 according to plans by Peter Joseph Lenné...
, in an area largely dominated by railway infrastructure. Close by were the approach tracks of the Anhalter Bahnhof
Anhalter Bahnhof
The Anhalter Bahnhof is a former railway terminus in Berlin, Germany, approximately 600 metres southeast of Potsdamer Platz. Although the station was closed in 1952, the name lives on in the Berlin S-Bahn station of the same name.- Early days :...
and Potsdamer Bahnhof
Berlin Potsdamer Bahnhof
The Potsdamer Bahnhof is a former railway terminus in Berlin, Germany. It was located at Potsdamer Platz, about 1 km south of the Brandenburg Gate, and kick-started the transformation of Potsdamer Platz from an area of quiet villas near the south-east corner of the Tiergarten into the bustling...
, and their associated goods stations and locomotive depots.
History
As a passenger terminus, the Dresdner Bahnhof was closed on 15 October 1882. Following the recent rebuilding of both the Anhalter and Potsdamer passenger termini to cope with rapidly increasing traffic, all services were transferred from the Dresdner Bahnhof to these two other stations, the Anhalter Bahnhof receiving the lion's share. It took on all long-distance services, and it was largely through this that it became known as Berlin's "Gateway to the South," its trains ultimately reaching RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. The Potsdamer Bahnhof inherited mainly short-haul and suburban traffic.
After standing apparently unused for more than 30 years, in 1913 the Dresdner Bahnhof was incorporated into a much larger facility - the Postbahnhof, dedicated to the handling of mail. By then there were even more rails in the immediate vicinity following the arrival of the U-Bahn
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
. Its original route, opened in stages during 1902, comprised a through section from Warschauer Brücke to Knie
Ernst-Reuter-Platz (Berlin U-Bahn)
Ernst-Reuter-Platz is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the in the Charlottenburg district.The station, originally designed by Alfred Grenander, opened on 14 December 1902 as the western terminus of the first Berlin U-Bahn line to Warschauer Brücke...
, with a triangular junction between Möckernbrücke
Möckernbrücke (Berlin U-Bahn)
Möckernbrücke is a station of the Berlin U-Bahn network in the western Kreuzberg district, named after a nearby bridge crossing the Landwehrkanal...
and Bülowstraße
Bülowstraße (Berlin U-Bahn)
Bülowstraße is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the in the Schöneberg district. It opened in 1902 at the western branch of the Stammstrecke, Berlin's first U-Bahn line...
giving access to Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
. This triangle of lines gave its name to the area (Gleisdreieck, literally meaning "railway triangle"), and also to the station constructed there
Gleisdreieck (Berlin U-Bahn)
Gleisdreieck is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on a viaduct on the and the lines in the Kreuzberg district. The station has platforms elevated above ground level for both lines...
. Following an accident on 26 September 1908, in which two trains collided on the triangle, killing 18 people and injuring 21 others, the layout was reorganised in 1912 into what can be seen today, with two lines crossing one over the other at right angles, and a split-level station with platforms on both lines. The Dresdner Bahnhof, and the Postbahnhof of which it became part, lay in the south-east quadrant, right in the angle between the two lines. In this guise it lasted for eight more decades, finally closing in 1997.
In the photograph on the top, taken in October 2005, the bridge carries U-Bahn line 1. A train crossing it from left to right (east to west) will run into Gleisdreieck station (high level platforms) just seconds later. Just beyond the bridge, the Dresdner Bahnhof is the mainly red brick building on the left, while the Postbahnhof is straight ahead. Both are nowadays used for concerts, parties, exhibitions and cultural events (please note that this Postbahnhof should not be confused with another venue, apparently of the same name, about 3 km away near the Ostbahnhof).